Knowledge is power and this maxim is just as true within the digital community. Without targeted metrics, businesses would be relying upon luck alone. The only potential issue is that, while the majority of owners fully understand the statements mentioned above, some can become slightly confused with regards to how data is successfully obtained.
What Type of Data is Required When Formulating a Marketing Strategy?
- Buying habits
- Customer location
- Times of the year associated with the most sales
- Variables e.g. age and gender
The irony is that these factors only represent one-half of the total picture. To curate a well-rounded marketing strategy, it is also important to better appreciate the analytics associated with the business itself.
For example, which of your products are proving to be the most popular? Are there any times of the year when you can expect more inbound revenue? What website pages receive the most inbound hits and are there other sections which are virtually devoid of visitors?
Answering these questions will provide you with a much more circumspect understanding of how future sales campaigns can be targeted in the right direction at the right time. We now need to examine how such vital parameters can be obtained.
What Resources are at Your Disposal?
The Internet provides a wealth of data collection opportunities and in this sense, it is important to appreciate which channels are the most relevant to your business. Once these have been determined, you can then begin creating material to obtain feedback. This is essential to gauge the efficacy of the marketing campaign itself.
Here are some of the most common avenues to utilise during an online campaign:
- Information found within your website
- Social media channels e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Blog posts
- Advertisements within local online business forums
Ultimately, the main intention is to collect as much data as possible. The only caveat here is that this information should be relevant so that it can be accurately interpreted. Some industry experts call this approach “omnichannel marketing” and it is becoming quite popular.
Collection, Storage and Security Issues to Address
Let us now assume that you have collected, collated and interpreted a vast amount of data. Perhaps some of this information is also based upon customer-relevant parameters mentioned earlier such as previous buying habits and historical spending trends. Security is an important concern to address.
GDPR has become quite stringent with regards to how data is collected, stored and subsequently destroyed. The main intention here is to ensure that potentially sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands (either intentionally or accidentally).
There are generally three ways in which private information can be rendered safe:
- Overwriting the information contained within a digital storage system.
- Degaussing the device (using strong electromagnets to scramble the data).
- Physically destroying the system that is being used to store the information.
It is always best to partner with a reliable and regulated third-party data destruction firm, as these professionals can provide solutions based solely on your business’s needs. All stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure that proprietary information is kept safe at all times.
Adapting to an Ever-Changing Digital Climate
Targeted and informative data represents the foundation of any well-planned marketing campaign. Knowing how to collect these details is important if you ever hope to resonate with your intended audience. However, we always need to remember that securing and erasing this data is just as critical in these modern times. The good news is that the Internet can now provide a host of bespoke solutions.
